Flickers
by Saramund
Summary: Years after the world has been devastated by an alien invasion, the Stargate erupts into life. - Chp 5 up and unbeta'd (for now)
1. Default Chapter

**Title:  **Flickers

**Author:** Saramund****

**Rating:  **G****

**Pairing: **S/J

**Season:  **Future, AU after Season 6

**Disclaimer:  **Stargate SG1 and its characters are property of Stargate (II) productions, Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. This story was written for entertainment purposes only and absolutely no money was exchanged. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations and story are property of the author. This story may not be posted anywhere else without the consent of the author

**Authors Note:**  Okay, this starts out a *little* dark, but stick with it –the last bit's worth it.  Oh, and can I have feedback please??  I'm getting a little hungry here…

_Momento__, homo, quia pulvis es et in pulverem revertis _– Remember, man, that dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return

The light from the TV was flickering in the darkened room, casting it's ever moving shadow over the lounge-suite before it; the table and chairs to one corner of the room.  The muted picture on the screen of the television bore silent witness to the events of the day before hand.  Black and white static flickered across the screen; the very absence of a picture illustrating that the station was no longer there.  As far as anyone could tell, the city itself could have been annihilated.  Outside the room, the corridor was as silent, the normal rush of people navigating the long winding corridors gone.  The hum of electricity was the only noise that could be heard, the complex deathly silent.  

A floor down, deep beneath the surface of the planet, a tall hollow ring stood, the approaching ramp littered with discarded items as the last of the refugees scampered through, desperate to head to a better life before their world ended.  The control room, a floor above the littered ramp, was silent.  The glass of the observation widow's shattered and the glass littering the floor and desks.  The floor of the room was slick with blood, the liquid a thick ooze as it dried.  Here and there across the floor was scattered paper, stuck to the red liquid where it touched.  To anyone who looked, the room was horrific evidence of a final frontier. A final last ditch effort to push back the invaders.  To save earth and all it's people from destruction. The blood on the floor told of the outcome of the final effort.

Eventually, the power gave out; hours or days after the invasion, certainly long after anyone remained in the compound.  Without warning, power was gone and the complex was abruptly blackened, the silence deafening.  Here and there on each floor was an eerie green glow of an 'exit' sign, their long life batteries keeping them gleaming even after the power had gone.  The air grew stale and tepid as the filters stopped working.  The blood littering the hallways congealed into thick, flaky pools, bright red liquid gone brown with age.  

As with all things, time moved on. The complex remained unchanging, locked away from the world beneath a mountain of dirt and rubble.  Locked air-tight, the complex itself was an instant captured in time, unchanged.  

Time immemorial passed, until a sound echoed around the empty complex.  A harsh, scratching howling sound, followed by a metallic thunk.  This sound was heard seven times in all.  Air began to move slowly, for the first time in years.  Eddies swirled around the tall ring, once known to those who inhabited the complex as a Stargate. The swirl of air grew in force until suddenly the Stargate erupted into life, bursting out in a pool of water to light up the dark room.  Had there still been power to the complex, a voice would have been heard transmitting through the pool of water, questioning the void.  A voice of someone that once knew the complex well enough to call it home.

There was a brief pulse in the water inside the ring, then a figure emerged from the pool, draped in dark blue jacket and hood that covered the face and body, eyes searching the blue-lit room intently.  Behind the figure stepped another two, both holding similar poses.  The first figure gestured off to its left, then briefly off to its right.  The three figures split up, each running its' own search pattern around the room.  The hiss of the pool folding in on itself made the three of them hesitate as the room was once more plunged into absolute darkness.

A light flickered on, followed by another two.  Three beams of light cris-crossed their way through the large room, taking in the details that darkness hid from view.  One beam focused on the damage sustained to a large metallic shield that was hiding half of the control room behind it.  The figure holding the light hesitated and then turned to walk out of the room, thumping solidly up the metal stairs into the room above it.  Boots scuffed the brown substance off the floor, sending up drifts of fine powder that coated the already dusty surface of the footwear.

The two figures below continued to study the damage to the large, open room.  One was squatting close to a small pile of rubble, leaning in with some device that was strapped to its' forearm.  The other was continuing to scan the ceiling and upper walls of the room.  There was a tap from above, and both looked up.  The light beckoned them to come up to the control room.  The two figures left the room; their beams directed a foot from their boots.  They both entered the control room, the second figure going straight towards the chair that still remained, it's seat turned away from the blank, damaged console.  The first figure tapped it's wrist, then pointed silently to the monitor.  The second figure nodded in silent understanding, swinging the chair around and sitting down on it.  

Minutes later, the three figures looked at the hardrive's they'd removed from the computers below the console, checking them over closely for damage.  Satisfied, they all walked out of the control room and down the metal stairs towards the Stargate.  The first figure held out its wrist and made a gesture over it.  The Stargate burst into life again, the blue light flickering over their uniforms.  The three figures, still bathed in the blue light from the Stargate, walked up the metal ramp and entered the pool of light.  The Stargate noted their passing with a slight ripple in the water-like horizon.  

Seconds later, the Stargate closed in on itself, the bright blue flickering light extinguishing.  And once more, the Complex was silent and dark.  A piece of paper lying on the metal ramp approaching the tall ring fluttering and then fell to the floor, its movement noted only by the slight rustle it made as it landed.  Then all was silent, in the complex, as it would be forever more.

The three figures stepped out of the horizon quickly and trotted down the stairs, removing the protective jackets and hoods as they did so.  The others, waiting at the base of the stairs, looked on curiously as the descended.  All but one remained silent.

            "Well?"  She asked, stepping forward.  "Did you get it?"  Jack grinned down at her and nodded.  Teal'c, standing beside his friend, held up the hard-drives that he held so carefully.  Sam, looking up at the three of them, grinned in relief.

            "Right, people."  Jack said, getting everyone's attention.  "We'll have a full briefing in two hours, but right now, we need to analyse the info on these things."  Jack pointed to the computer pieces in Teal'c hand, then clumped down the final three stairs and walked through the large crowd toward the small compact building that served as Sam's lab and Jack's office at the same time.  He was followed, of course, but that was okay.   It was his team, his family.  He opened the door and allowed the other three to enter before him.  They all took seats on the cane chairs that they'd constructed in the first year they'd been on the alpha site, the rustle of the stuffing in the cushions accompanying their movement.  Sam groaned as she sat down beside Jack, putting her hand on her lower back to help her sit down.

            "You okay, Sam?"  Jonas asked, leaning forward.  Teal'c and Jack looked on, equally concerned.

            "I'm fine.  Just.. fat."  She grumbled.  Jack smiled and took her hand, offering her a squeeze in sympathy. "How did it look?"  She asked, looking at each of the men in turn.

            "Bad."  Jonas said, sitting back.

            "Very bad."  Jack agreed, his voice deep.  "Maintaining vocal silence while we were there was the hardest thing I've had to do since we abandoned Cheyenne to the A'cuit's."  He continued, pulling his hand away from Sam's and gripping his knee's.

            "Jack, you didn't have a choice.  You know the A'cuit's are attracted vocal sounds.  One word and you'd have all been ripped to shreds and your bones ground for their bread."  Teal'c raised an eyebrow at the analogy, but it generated a small smile from Jack.

            "You've been telling Danny bedtime stories again, haven't you?"  He asked.  She smiled guiltily in return.

            "Well, yes.  But it's pretty close to the truth.  Which is why you had to maintain silence while you were there.  Was there any.."  She drifted off, unable to continue the question.  Jack shook his head in reply.

            "None.  You knew there wouldn't be."  Jack took her hand again, offering mute comfort.  Sam nodded her head, blinking to hold back tears.  Before any of them could continue, the door burst open and a young boy of about six years old scampered in, blue eyes wide with excitement.

            "Daddy!"  He yelled, throwing himself at Jack.  Jack grunted as the solid weight of his son hit him, then hugged him tight.

            "Hey, kiddo.  I told you I'd be back."

            "But I dreamt you died.  Lots and lots of times."  The boy stopped, his eyes closing and his face taking on a haunted look.  The four adults around him exchanges sombre looks, then turned their attention back to the boy.

            "Daniel?"  Jack asked, pulling the boy back to study his face. He brushed the sandy hair out of his son's eyes, looking briefly to Sam before picking him up and seating him on his lap, holding him close.  "It's alright.  I know it's confusing now, but eventually it'll be okay.  Just remember that I'm okay, and that's all in the past now."  He continued to hold his son, who was and always would be his best friend, rocking gently as the child snuggled closer, comforted by the sound of his father's heart beat.

            "It's hard."  Sam said, watching as her son and husband rocked together.  "He's just a child, but he can remember everything that Daniel was, everything that Daniel did."

            "It was his wish, MajorCarter."  Teal'c said softly.  "To be a child again, and to have parents.  He will grow to be a brilliant adult, and will have loving memories of his family."  Jack and Sam smiled at each other while simultaneously placing their hands on her rotund stomach.  The five of them remained silent for several moments, smiling in their own way, then Jack cleared his throat.

            "Right, let's start having a look at this data, shall we?  We have places to visit, you know!"  The others, kicked into motivation, nodded their heads and stood up.  It was eight years since the destruction of earth and the Alpha site (aka Maui II) was ready to contact the rest of the galaxy.  Armed and dangerous.  Jack grinned.  God bless the Asgard and God help their enemies.

-fin-

for now??


	2. Chapter 2

* * * *

Oh Jesus._  He thought as the thing rippled towards him, the mass of invisible energy gliding several meters above the ground of the room he was over looking.  He'd seen it, seconds before, literally tear apart one of the soldiers in the room below, the blood scattering in a whirlwind of red.  The young corporal hadn't even had time to scream.  The thing, alien he supposed,  shattered the glass as it made it's way through, yet the man didn't blink.  The glass hit his forehead, scored along his cheek, yet the man didn't speak.  The thing hovered in the control room, hanging close to the door.  It slowly made it's way out, towards the corridor._

_            "God."  He breathed a sigh of relief.  It was the last thing he ever said.  Within moments, the papers in his hand fluttered gently to the floor, their surfaces spotted with his blood._

_* * * *_

Sam groaned as she sat back, putting her hand into the curve of her spine.  The child was getting heavier each hour, and she swore that this would be the last child she would _ever_ carry.

            "No more, Jack O'Neill."  She muttered under her breath, tapping her finger on the keyboard while she waited for the latest report to finish compiling.  She turned her head and smiled softly when she saw her son asleep on the large feather cushion near her chair.  It was his favourite place to rest while his mother was working.  That is, when his father hadn't taken him out to the fields to play for the day.  The computer beeped at her and she glanced back to see the results of her latest trial.

            "Yes."  She said quietly, mindful of her sleeping son.

            "You've got something?"  Jack asked, making her jump.  She put a hand to her heart, glaring at him in the doorway.  "Sorry, Sam.  Thought you'd heard me."  He nodded towards the monitor.  "You found something?"

            "Possibly.  I need Janet to have a look, though."  She said, hitting the print button.  "Why is it,"  She asked, hauling herself up off the cane chair and walking towards the printer, "that we had enough forethought to bring through some computer equipment when we were setting up this Alpha site, but no furniture?"  It was a common complaint around the compound.

            "Cause a man was in charge?"  Jack guessed, a ironic smile on his face.  His wife snorted her agreement, then picked up the paper and waddled through the internal door into the office/room next door.  Jack followed, leaving the door open behind so that they could hear if Danny woke up.

            "Janet?"  Sam called, getting her friend's attention.  The doctor looked up, eyes immediately going to the paper in Sam's hand.

            "You've got something?"  She asked, unknowingly echoing Jack's question.

            "Yes.  Take a look."  She handed over the printout and then waited while the medic scanned the information.

            "That could work, Sam."  Janet said after several minutes of silence.  She shot a look at Jack.  "When is the first team going out?"

            "1800 hours tomorrow.  Zukov's team.  Just a recon mission to the local Tok'ra base on P2C 893.  Nice short trip.  They should be back within a few hours."  Jack rattled off the information, his voice not showing the nervousness they were all feeling at going back out into the galaxy after an eight year dearth.

            "Right.  Well, in that case, I'll need him to acquisition a few things for us."  Janet leant over and wrote down several things on a piece of paper before handing it over to the tall man before her.  "We're going to need that and more if what we're going to try has even a chance of succeeding."  Jack nodded, folding the list and placing it in his thigh pocket.  A hissing noise beside him got his attention.

            "Sam?"  He asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.  She winced in reply, hand going to her stomach.

            "Braxton hicks.  I'll be okay."  Sam smiled through her pain, her lips white against a white face.  Jack wasn't convinced.

            "Janet?"  Jack asked.

            "Let's have a look, Sam."  Janet said, standing up and holding out her hand to her friend.  Sam hesitated, but after a firm look from the doctor, she gave up her hand and was guided into the small surgery area.  Janet put up the privacy screen and then helped Sam onto the tall table behind the screen.

            "Jack?"  Sam called, as she settled back onto the cushions at the head of the table.

            "Yeah?"  He asked, coming round the screen.

            "Check on Danny, will you?  He's been asleep for a while."  Jack nodded and left his wife to Janet's more than capable hands.  He crouched down in front of his son, ignoring the spasm of pain as his knee's cricked.

            "Danny?"  He called, softly touching his son's shoulder.  The boy muttered, turning his head and snuggling further into the pillow.  "Danny, time to get up."  The boy finally opened his eyes and peered up at his father, the frown turning into a beaming grin.

            "Hey, Jack."  He said, his voice almost adult.  Then he sat up and giggled.  "Daddy."  He put his arms as far around his father as was possible before sitting back and looking around.  "Where's Mommy?"  He asked, staring at the empty chair.

            "Aunty Janet is looking at your little sister."  Jack replied, by now almost used to the snippets of the adult Daniel that they glimpsed from time to time within the small boy.

            "Can I see?"

            "Ah.. not right now, Danny.  In a few weeks, when she's out of Mommy's tummy you can."  Jack replied, hiding a grin.  He stood up and held out his hand to his son.  "Come on, kid.  Let's go annoy Uncle Teal'c."

            "Cool."  Daniel replied, dragging his father behind him in his excitement to get to his favourite 'Uncle'.  
  


* * * *  

_The terror was palpable, a living thing in the air.  The smell of it mingled with the tang of iron, the smell of fresh blood.  The survivors of the first attack all stood, shivering in shock, their throats thick with dread.  About them they could see the disturbances as the aliens hunted, the air itself seemed to shimmer as they passed.  One man, who had involuntarily cried out as he slipped in a puddle, had been ripped apart before the cry had ended.  It was at that point that silence came upon the hallway.  Terrified, shivering silence.  For hours, the six survivors stood there, staring at each other, petrified.  Afraid to move, in case it would attract the hunters attention.  Finally one of them struck up the courage to move his arm.  He moved it out, away from his body.  The woman on the other wall facing him almost cried out in denial before she remembered the fate of their friend.  They all waited for the hunter to strike.  But he didn't.  The man waved his hand, then hesitantly stepped away from the wall, swallowing past the lump of fear in his throat.  Still no attack.  He looked at the woman.  This meant something_

* * * *  

The baby gurgled in it's cradle, hands waving softly in the air in front of her face as she watched the patterns on the ceiling.  Her parents sat close by, watching in fascination as the girl discovered that she had the amazing ability to stick both hands inside her mouth and suck on them.  One of her parents leant over the edge of the cradle and coo-ed at her.  She giggled back, laughing at the face her mother was making.  Reaching out, she caught the long blonde hair in her hands and giggled again as her mother tried to untangle herself.

            "Silvie."  Her father scolded gently, lifting her up and placing her over his shoulder, neatly untangling her fist at the same time.  Silvie gurgled and grabbed at his ear, drooling down the back of his shirt.  She listened as her parents spoke to each other, loving the sound of their voices, and giggling at the feeling of her fathers voice vibrating in his chest, making her body tickle.

            "How's it going, Sam?"  Jack asked, bouncing Sylvie in his arms to distract her.

            "We're getting there.  The Agar gave us the… doohickey,"  Sam grinned at her husband, "and I've almost managed to merge it's technology in with ours.  In a few days, we should be able to do some preliminary testing."

            "Good.  Talc's due back in the next three hours."  He said, changing the topic.

            "I know.  Danny's been giving me regular updates on each team.  He considers it his job now, you do realize that?"  She patted Sylvie on the back, then walked over to brush her hair and put it back into a more manageable pony tail.

            "Well.  It was either that or have him start cataloging the rocks Jim found over on Buxton Field."  Jack grinned.  "I think he may just be a little too young to be working archaeological digs, don't you?"  Sam turned and poked her tongue out at him.  Jack briefly entertained the idea of grasping hold of the offending appendage but thought better of it.  He much preferred his bed to the cane lounge in the second room.  Sylvie gurgled by his ear, and he pulled her back to jiggle her in the air before him.

            "What do you reckon, sweetie?  Danny play with rocks?"  Sylvie's answer was to blow raspberries at her father, blue eyes twinkling with mirth.  "No?  Okay."  Sam came over and took her daughter back.  She kissed Jack briefly on the mouth, before heading outside, her daughter resting neatly on her hip.

            "What are you up to today, Jack?"  She asked as she headed towards their office.  

            "Well, after rounding Daniel up from his most important duties, I've got to go out and check on Fiji Village.  After that, back to Buxton Field to pick up those rocks I mentioned for the Arc. Group.  After that, Daniel and I have a little regression session."

            "Have you learnt anything?"  Sam asked, giving him a look.

            "No.  It's so frustrating.  I just get past our Danny, to the adult behind, and then Bam, it's like a door shuts down."

            "Maybe he's not ready."  Sam suggested, opening the door to their office.

            "Sam, he's the one who asked.  You know he's been having nightmares the last few months."  He said, sitting down in his chair.  "We've both had almost no sleep, between Danny's nightmares and Sylvie's feedings."  He sensed, even without looking, that Sam resented the last comment.  "No, Sammy."  He said, rising and heading over to her, hugging both his wife and daughter in his arms.  "I wouldn't change anything for all the dead goa'uld's in the world.  But if I can do something to make our lives easier, to make Danny's life easier, then you know I'm going to."

            "I know, Jack."  Sam replied, touching his jaw gently.  She jerked her chin towards the door.  "Go and get your son and spend the day with him."  He looked closely into her eyes, then smiled softly and kissed her and Sylvie, then walked outside.

* * * *

_It hunted by sound.  The sound of vocal chords.  The sound of a voice.  It hunted their very speech.  A whisper, a moan, a sob.  They were all deadly.  This new invasion was unstoppable.  The world knew.  The world understood.  The world could not stop it.  They could not stop the hunting.  Within days, the world was silent.  And the survivors, those who could and had managed to remain 'dumb' made their way slowly and surely to __Colorado__, __USA__.  It took weeks for some.  They slowly evacuated those who survived, the trickle of people coming in daily.  _

_Finally, weeks after the first soldier had been torn apart, his splattered blood long dry, the last of the evacuee's stood on the ramp.  They stared around at the blood on the floor so thick that in places it was still moist.  Their guilt beating in their chest.  There were those who would not survive.  Those who could not make it to this sanctuary.  Those who didn't know of it's existence.  And they'd had to make a choice.  The risk assessment had been made and they were leaving.  They had to protect those they'd saved.  With one final tear for those who remained, the two remaining Stargate Personnel turned and walked into the wormhole, their departure marked only by a ripple on the surface.  The Stargate Shut down.  _

_The hunters remained, waiting for the sound.  It would come.  Of that they were sure.  The thousand who had escaped were nothing to the billions they had consumed.  They were content.  _

_For now._

_* * * *  
  
_

            "So what did you dream about last night, Danny?"  Jack asked, sitting by the lake with his son.  They had cast their home-made fishing lines into the water beneath the huge shady tree, and sat back.

            "Nothing much."  Daniel replied, leaning back on his little six-year old arms.  In the six months since Jack had returned from their mission to earth, his boy had grown.  At least half a foot in height, and his shorts were almost too short now.  Time to pay a visit to the supply store again.

            "Did you see Oma again?"  Jack pressed, jiggling his fishing rod.  His son shook his head in reply.  Jack knew that would be the response.  Daniel never screamed out in terror when he dreamed about Oma.  And scream out in terror the boy had.  For the past three nights running.

            "Daniel?  You can tell me, you know."

            "I know, Daddy."  Daniel replied softly, staring at the sun shining off the water.  He picked up a small pebble and threw it into the water, breaking the reflection and sending ripples of sunlight across his face.  "I….  You and Mommy and Uncle Teal'c were there."  He started.  It was quite often how he started to describe his nightmares.  Jack deeply regretted that what he and his son called nightmares could not be dismissed by saying just that.  'They're just nightmares.'  Unfortunately for his son, his nightmares weren't 'just' nightmares.  They were memories.  And they were always true.

            "What happened?"  He asked, setting his fishing rod down beside him.

            "We were… in a cave."  He replied, frowning.  "You were grumbling about something.  Uncle Jonas was there.  He was smiling.  So was Mommy."  Jack stiffened.  Jonas had never served with Daniel on SG-1.  Daniel had died before Jonas had joined the Stargate Command.  Jonas had joined almost directly because of Daniel's death.  

            "You wouldn't talk to me."  Daniel looked up at him, and his son had tears in his eyes.  "You kept ignoring me.  I yelled and yelled…"  His breath hitched.  Jack grasped him tight and held him close to his chest.  He remembered the mission.  It had gone badly – when had one not? – but everything turned out alright in the end.  He held his son and let him continue.  "Uncle Teal'c yelled something suddenly and then there was smoke and flames and heat.  I kept yelling, but you wouldn't listen.  You starting yelling at Mommy and then you just ran away from me!"  Jack rocked his son, waiting for him to calm down before explaining the mission.  After a few minutes, Daniel's breathing calmed and he sat in the circle of his father's arms, safe.

            "It was a bad mission, Daniel."  Jack started, continuing the ritual they had started several months ago.  Yes, he did try to contact the adult Daniel behind the child quite frequently, but more often than not, Jack found himself comforting and reassuring his son.  "What you thought was me ignoring you wasn't.  You were with Oma then, an Ancient.  Remember, we talked about that?  If you see Jonas with us in your nightmares, then you're safe with Oma?"  Daniel nodded, sniffing as he wiped his nose on his sleeve.  "The flames you saw were from a bomb."  Daniel gasped.  "It's okay, it wasn't directed at us.  We just happened to be in the firing line, so to speak.  I was yelling at your Mom and Jonas to get them to move because I could hear the roar of the flames.  It's what I used to do.  Order your Mom and Uncle Jonas around."

            "You still order Uncle Jonas around.  But now Mommy orders you around."  Daniel told him, a spark of mischief in his eyes.  Jack grinned down at him.

            "That's right.  And I have a feeling that's never going to change.  We got out, but Uncle Jonas was hurt really badly.  And your Mom had a bad burn on her back and shoulder.  We got them back to Auntie Janet, who fixed them up for us."

            "So why was I there?"  Daniel asked, shuffling round to look at his father.

            "I don't know, Danny.  You had taken to looking out for us, watching over us.  Maybe it was you who allowed me to hear the roar of the flames?  Maybe it was your yelling –even though I couldn't hear you properly – that made me realize something was wrong."  Daniel looked up at him, hope shining in his eyes.

            "You think so?"  He asked breathlessly.

            "Something jogged my attention.  So yeah, I think so."  He did now, now that he realized that Daniel had been in that cave with him.  He'd heard a whisper beside him, and turned to look, and felt the wave of warmth and a distant roar.  He'd reacted immediately.  Daniel nodded, happy with the world again.  That was one blessing, he was at the age where Dad did know best, and one word from him and the world was back at rights.

            "Can we go see Sylvie now?"  Danny asked, looking towards Mauii Village, rising beyond the hill behind them.

            "Sure.  It's time for your afternoon nap, anyway."

            "Awww."  Daniel moaned, causing Jack to grin.

* * * *

_They'd rested.  They'd enjoyed.  They'd gorged themselves on all they could.  The world was finally silent.  It had been for so long.  They scoured the land, the see.  The hovered high and low.  There was no sound left.  Their hunt had finally ended._

_It was time to hunt again._

_They were hungry._

_* * * *_


	3. Chapter 3

            The party was in full swing, music pumping through the make-do speakers that scattered around the clearing.  It was close to night, where the air is crisp and biting and the world is a translucent blue edged with purple.  The party-goers gathered round large fires that were dotted here and there, alcohol and the warmth of the flames warming them, protecting them from the nip of winter.  

            Those who weren't gathered near the fires found other ways to warm themselves.  A dance circle had formed near one of the biggest speakers, set about twenty feet from the musicians themselves.  The cheering and yelling that erupted from the circle often drew the attention of the majority of the others.  Smiles and laughs of appreciation joined the chatter, along with spoken and yelled compliments or joking criticisms.  Children ran through the crowds, giggling and squealing as they darted here and there.  Mist from the gathering dusk hung just above their heads, combining with the smoke from the fires to create a surreal blanket that covered the area.

            "Hey, O'Neill!"  One yelled, his voice full of laughter and alcohol.

            "What?"  Came the belligerent reply.  A snort of laughter from another was muffled hastily by a cough.

            "Have you finished monopolizing Samantha's time yet?"  The same voice yelled.

            "No."  Jack replied, then snorted himself when his wife firmly pushed him away and stepped out into the lit area, tugging the ends of her shirt at the same time.  She grinned at the light ribbing she received from some of her friends but said nothing, merely went to join Janet and Teal'c at one of the fire pits.  Janet grinned back and offered her a mug of steaming alcohol.  

            "Where's Danny?"  Janet asked, sipping from her own mug.

            "Last time I saw, he was playing 'horsey' with Uncle Jonas."  She replied, laughing.  

            "When will he learn?" Janet laughed with her.

            "It brings him joy to be considered 'uncle' to Daniel, Doctor Frasier.  He recognizes that he cannot go back to Kollowna, so is doubly appreciative when welcomed into our family."  Teal'c told them, standing at ease with his hands clasped behind his back.  The fire shone off his skin, the reds and oranges playing with his features.  Janet patted his upper arm.

            "I know."  She said, not commenting on Teal'c's automatic inclusion of Janet in the 'SG-1' family.  It was a close bond they all shared, and one she was honoured to be a part of, even if it was just as an observer.  

            "Hey, Janet!"  A dancer yelled, staggering towards them.  "Susan asked if you could sing for us."  He announced, slapping an arm around Janet's shoulders and leering at the petite doctor.

            "Not tonight, Justin."  Janet replied, laughing.  She ducked out from underneath the arm of the inebriated technician, and shoved him gently back towards the dancers.  He laughed and waved goodbye before trotting back, hips pumping in time to the music.

            "That is one drunk man."  Sam commented, watching Justin Siler stagger away from them.

            "I believe you are correct, SamanthaO'Neill."  Teal'c said, his tone dry.

            "Well, it's not often we get the upper hand around here."  Janet replied.  "This little breakthrough deserved a party."

            "Besides, we've been working six months straight.  It's time we let our hair down."  Sam continued.  She ignored Teal'c's pointed look at her recently cut hair.  After growing it for the last eight years, a month ago she'd decided she'd had enough of the long hair and had cut it again, back to her old military hairstyle.  Her husband had been most appreciative of the change.

* * * *

_They drifted, waiting.  _

* * * *

Jack leaned over the bucket, groaning, holding his stomach with one hand and the bucket in place with the other.  He felt a dribble of sweat run down the side of his face, smelt the salt from it and groaned when his stomach heaved again.

            "You okay, Jack?"  His wife called from the other room.  He could hear them all, his family, giggling in that high-pitched tone that was just made for bursting ear-drums.

            "Fine."  He groaned as his stomach cramped again.  He spat into the bucket, inhaling deeply to get past the nausea.  The door cracked open and he whimpered.

            "Bright light."  He whispered, shutting his eyes.  He could sense Sam's indulgent smile but decided not to comment.

            "Here."  She said, holding out a cup filled with steaming liquid.  "It will help."

            "A very sharp axe is the only thing that's going to help me."  He replied, but took the cup anyway, downing the liquid quickly, shuddering at the taste.  "Damn home-made remedies.  Why can't we just use Tylenol?"

            "Cause we need that for the real sick, Jack."  Sam said, laughing.  "You just have a hang-over."

            "There's no 'just' about it."  Jack grumbled, then shot a look at his wife.  She was grinning at him.  He snarled back, hiding his own amusement behind the hang-over.  She jerked her head towards the bathing area.

            "Have a bath. Shave.  I'll cook you up some sausages and eggs."  She laughed and trotted out the door as his face turned green and he huddled over the bucket once more.

* * * *

_They drifted, restless.  _

_They drifted, searching.  _

_They drifted, angry.  _

_They drifted, bound to this planet by the atmosphere.  By it's gravity.  By the Stargate._

_They drifted, trapped by those they had consumed._

_* * * *_

            "Remind me again why we had that party last night?"  Jack asked, stepping into his office with his son in tow, eyes shaded against the bright sunlight beaming in through the windows.

            "Because we finally got the disrupter working."  His wife replied, expertly navigating around the crawling Sylvie.

            "Ahh.  Next time, we'll have a parade.  No alcohol."  He suggested, sitting down and clapping his hands to get his daughter's attention.

            "Civilian's don't march, Jack."  His son said, voice so like the adult Daniel that both Sam and Jack did a double take.  Danny grinned up at them, then went and sat down with his sister, lifting her up to balance on her toes.  She grinned and gurgled at him, talking nonsensical baby-talk at him.

            "It's spooky when he does that."  Jack complained, then turned on his computer.  Sam went back to her own work, picking up a screwdriver from the bench and leaning over to fiddle with her latest project.  They worked in relative silence for the next few hours.  Relative due to the presence of their two children.  Demands for food, attention, food and then more attention were handled expertly by both of them, barely impacting on their ability to work.

            "Right."  Jack said with a huge sigh as he sat back.  Sam immediately came over and leaned down to look at his display.

            "Oh, that'll work brilliantly, Jack."  She commended him, studying the plan.  "I think I've got their origin calculated down to three or four planets.  So, with a few more days of testing, we should be right to send through the first team."  
            "Have you decided?"  He asked, tensing up for her answer.  She looked down at him, one hand on his shoulder.  She pressed gently, nodding.

            "I want to go."  She said, and he nodded dismally.  He understood why she'd want to go.  His wife had spent over a year on this project.  It was understandable that she wanted to see it out to the very end.

            "I understand."  He said softly, staring blankly at the monitor before him.

            "Do you, Jack?"  She asked, turning him around and kneeling in front of him.  "I don't want to go for the glory.  I definitely don't want to go for the danger.  I'm over being an adrenaline junky.  But if something goes wrong with the device, I'm pretty much the only one who could fix it.  I can't _not go."  Her eyes begged him to understand._

            "I know.  That doesn't mean I have to like it."  His eyes said more than his words.  That he didn't have to like the fact that no matter what, he had to stay behind.  There was no choice for him.

            "Someone has to take care of the children.  In case -."

            "No."  Jack cut her off.  "No 'in case'.  You and the rest of your team are coming back.  I don't want to hear anything else, okay?" He gripped her shoulders tightly in his hands, knowing that his fingers would be bruising her flesh.

            "Okay."  She replied softly, holding his gaze.  She drew in a deep breath, then expelled it fast.  "I suppose I'd better go sign on to Teal'c's training schedule."  Jack grinned then.

            "Yes.  And considering your physical fitness when you were with SG-1, I don't think Teal'c is going to take any prisoners.  So to speak."

            "Thanks for the sympathy, _honey._"  Sam snarled good naturedly, daunted at having to essentially go back to boot-camp.  

* * * *

_The searched, hungering for sustenance.__  Prying for a way off this planet.  A way to continue.  A way to feed.  They searched for day upon day.  Prowling the surface, probing beneath, peering into the reaches of the atmosphere.  The wind shivered, ice cold, in their wake.  The forests had overrun the buildings, their leaves rustling as THEY passed, the only noise on this now silent planet.  One day, years after their entry, they found it.  They found their gate of travel._

_Buried deep underground, far into a mountain.__  It's area surrounded by concrete and dirt.  The stargate.  And now it was only a matter of time until they could control it.  Until they could journey.  Until they could eat._

_They were happy.  They were hungry._

_* * * *_


	4. Chapter 4

Authors Note:  Thanks to Cheryl for beta-ing this for me.  Your help was appreciated….

The gate shut down, the blue flickering light dying an abrupt death.  Jack stood before the stairs, staring through the ring to the trees beyond, eyes bleak and shoulders slumped.  Janet, Siler and the rest of the gathered villagers slowly and quietly walked away, hope and fear shining in their eyes.  Their four best people had just left on what could more than likely be their last trip through the Stargate.  The chances of all of them coming home was slim.  The chances of all of them dying was high.  Too high for many of the remaining to be comfortable.  Janet cast a look over her shoulder at Jack as she walked back to her office, hesitating.  Justin Siler touched her shoulder, shaking his head gently.

            "Leave him, Doctor."  He said quietly.  "He needs some time.  We should see to Sylvie and Daniel."  Janet nodded back and they headed towards the crèche at the left of the main building.

            Jack stood before the Stargate, his mind far away.  With the rest of his team on P3R 456 - the A'cuit home world.  Where his wife was.  Where his best friends were.  Where he could not follow.  He cast a look down at his knees and blinked slowly.  The time for tears, for anger, had long gone.  Now there was only despair and a longing to be with them.  To lead them.

            "Sam knows what she's doing, Jack."  He heard a voice say beside him.  He looked down at his son, who stared gravely back up at him.

            "I know, Daniel."  Jack said softly, taking the boy's hand.  He glanced back at the Stargate before turning away.  "But that doesn't mean that I don't want to be there."

            "You are there.  With all of them.  Teal'c, Jonas, Sam and Sarah all learned from you.  Everything they know, they know from you.  You couldn't have guaranteed a more successful mission.  Now come on.  Sylvie wants to see you."  And all of a sudden Daniel became the seven (and a half) year old boy he was, pulling his father towards the crèche and his daughter.

            "Just how did you get away from crèche, young man?"  Jack asked, remembering where he had left his son.  Daniel's reply was an evil giggle.

* * * *

 Sam gestured for Teal'c and Sarah to go left, as she led Jonas to the right.  Even had she wanted to, speech was impossible.  The injection Janet had given them just prior to departure had frozen all of their vocal chords, rendering speech impossible.  It was just another thing they had to thank the Asgard for – advanced medical know-how.  All four of them had their weapons at the ready, their specially designed goggles down over their eyes, aiding them in seeing the A'cuits should they come across any.  

With hand signals, Sam told Teal'c she wanted him to take point, followed by Jonas and Sarah, with her taking up the rear position.  She tested the fastenings on her pack one last time, ensuring that the device was safe, then followed her team away from the Stargate and the relative safety it provided'?

* * * *

            The day passed slowly.  He sat at his desk, staring blankly at the monitor.  At the plan he had made.  The plan that had taken away his 'family'.  Taken them into danger.  There were days when he wished he hadn't been born a natural leader.  When he wished he had been a waiter in a diner on an interstate somewhere.  Or a window-washer perhaps. Anything but someone who put other people's lives in jeopardy.

            And all he could do was wait.  And pray. 

* * * *

Sam kneeled on the ground, her back bowed in pain.  Emotional and physical. She reached into the bloody mess that was all that remained of Sarah, pulled out her dog tag and put it in her pocket, before standing up and turning away from the blood spattered ground.  There was nothing they could do for Sarah.  Except succeed.  She gestured for her remaining team-members to gather close and brought out the small erasable note-pad.  She wrote quickly in shorthand.  It was something that Jack had insisted they all learn before leaving on this mission.  Something she was now glad she had listened to him about.

            _We need to continue for another 3 miles East.  We should be able to set the device off then.  Timer on for thirty minutes.  _Jonas took the notepad from her and jotted something down.

            _Enough time to get back?_ He'd written.

            _Yes.  The bubble will expand exponentially.  At a brisk jog, we should stay ahead of it.  From that point, it's only 3.5 miles back to the gate, direct.  _She looked at Teal'c and Jonas, who both nodded their understanding.  Neither showed signs of their 'shot' wearing off.  Sam made a mental note to investigate why out of all of them, Sarah's had been the first to wear out.  It had made her death pointless.  She had fallen, twisting her ankle and had cried out involuntarily.  Sam mentally put that aside to deal with later, put the notepad back into her pocket and stood up.  The others followed her lead.

* * * *

Jack sat with Janet and his children, eating a meal that she had prepared for them all.  Her own husband was out exploring a new system of caverns that had been discovered a few weeks ago, so she was just as alone as he was.  The children were enjoying their game of 'let's try and hide our food rather than eat it'.  It was something they played with startling regularity.

            "Daniel."  Jack warned his son, who looked back at him with guileless blue eyes as he sneakily hid a root-vegetable under the table lip.

            "How are you dealing, Jack?"  Janet asked, getting back to the subject of their conversation.

            "Anxious." Jack admitted, wiping the mouth of his daughter with a soft cloth.  She gurgled up at him.

            "Dada."  She beamed.  He smiled back, but his heart wasn't in it.  He was too worried about her mother.

            "I don't blame you." Janet said, taking a sip of the Moonshine she'd developed several years ago.  It had progressed to the point where it didn't really deserve the name Moonshine – it was actually quite palatable.  But it was now like a label – Janet's Moonshine.  Finest alcohol on Maui II.

            "I figured I'd go out to Blue Lagoon with Daniel this afternoon.  Do a little fishing.  He had another nightmare last night."  Janet cast the boy a look, but realized that Jack was dealing with his son's nightmares well enough on his own and simply nodded in reply.

            "I'll look after Sylvie for you."  Janet offered, casting an adoring look at the toddler.

* * * *

_They'd found it.  The way out.  The particular manipulation that would activate their escape route.  They snarled and writhed around the Stargate, winds whistling through the compound.  _

_Power._

_*scrreeech-thunk* The ring moved inside it's guiding rail.  A symbol glowed.  The first of seven._

_More power._

_*screeech-thunk*_

* * * *

Had Sam been able to speak, she would have yelled for Teal'c and Jonas to run.  As it was, she pushed them both before her as she sprinted away from the rapidly building bubble.  It was building faster and far more solid than even she had anticipated.  She estimated they had roughly one mile to go to the gate.  She glanced back as she ran and saw the bubble was far too close for comfort.  She stumbled, but was pulled up by a strong hand on her arm.  Teal'c.  As always – looking out for his family.  She continued running.

* * * *

Jack was just heading out of the village with his son and two fishing rods when the alarm sounded, announcing an incoming wormhole.  He shot his son a look and they both ran back to the Stargate, gathering there with about 50 other villagers.  All of stood silently, their eyes trained on the moving ring.  The glowing symbols.  

            "She's back early."  Jack murmured to himself.  He felt a thread of fear.  Being back early was never a good sign.  At least not in his experience.  He held Daniel's hand tightly and watched as the wormhole blew out in a gush of bubbles.  It settled back into it's rippling surface.  And then nothing.

* * * *

_Oh God_  She thought as Jonas dialed.  She had her back to the gate, watching the bubble come towards them, faster and faster.  She heard it's whoosh and turned.  They had seconds at the most before the bubble took them.  She ran towards the gate, Teal'c and Jonas waiting for her. 

* * * *

_*screech-thunk* _

_*shhh-whoosh*_

_Time for them to go.  Time for them to feed._

_* * * *_

"What-."  Gerard asked, turning to face Jack.  The others watched horrified, as Gerard was torn apart in front of them, his blood spraying across their bodies.  It was something they were all chillingly familiar with. Something they all thought they'd rid themselves of.

_            Oh God_.  Jack thought as he instinctively clasped his hand over Daniel's mouth.  The Claxon was going off.  The A'cuit were here.  He felt a wind whistle past his cheek and prayed to himself that Daniel would not make a sound.  He knelt down and stared hard into Daniel's eyes, trying to reach beyond the boy to the adult behind.  He put his finger to his lips, pressing hard to emphasize the importance.  Daniel nodded and Jack knew that both of the Daniels understood.

            _Sylvie_.  Jack thought and grabbing Daniel up in his arms, sprinted for the Doctor's office.  He flung open the door to see a wide-eyed Janet with a syringe in her hand.  An empty one.  Sylvie, sitting on her knee was crying, brown eyes awash with tears, mouth open in a scream.  But there was no sound.  Janet had given her the voice-box neutralizing injection.  He almost collapsed in relief.  His mind processed sounds – aborted screams.  Whistling cold wind.  The Claxon still blaring.  He closed his eyes for a second, then opened them again.  He handed Daniel over to Janet, telling her with his eyes to watch them both, then went back outside.  He ran over to the emergency beacon and pressed his code into the panel, along with his palm print.  Immediately, his voice – synthesized and digitally recorded – echoed out around the compound.  Through the telecommunication devices.  It instantly reached all the survivors.  The thousand that had escaped from Earth.

            "The A'cuit are here.  Assemble at Ground Zero."There was nothing else that needed to be said.  Everyone knew what the simple message meant.  They had to start again.  Somewhere else.  And this time, there was no Alpha site already set up.  They would have to start from scratch.  As the silent villagers approached the gate, it started activating again.  Several of the villagers cast the gate a fearful glance, but all remained silent.  The few that had already been killed served as a grisly reminder of how they had survived before hand.  He saw Janet, Daniel and Sylvie in tow, handing out syringes to the adults with children.  They didn't understand.  There was no other way to guarantee their silence.

            The gate exploded open for a second time in ten minutes.  They all tensed.  The Claxon still blared it's warning.  Jack's voice still repeated it's message.  And would do so for another twenty four hours.  The gate remained silent for several seconds, then released three people.  Jack stared at his wife, his heart collapsing in his chest in relief and fear.  Relief that she was safe.  Fear that she wasn't.  The A'cuit were here as well.

            Sam stepped through, her thoughts only on the bubble behind them. She had felt it brush her clothes as she stepped through the gate.  Because of her preoccupation, it took her several moments to recognize the Claxon and it's warning.  She paled, eyes darting around the gathered people until she saw Jack, standing by the emergency console.  It was his voice she could hear.  Warning everyone of the presence of their enemy.  A'cuit.  She put her hand up to her mouth, eyes wide with fear.  Jack told her silently, that their children were okay – his eyes leaving hers to look at Janet.  Sam followed with her own, and she breathed out in relief when she saw them.  Sylvie, red eyed with crying, hiccupping into Janet's chest.  Daniel, standing beside her, mouth clamped firmly closed.

            "We have to leave."  Jack said – or rather, his synthesized voice did.  He had a key pad at the console and it spoke what he typed.  Sam started to nod along with the villagers, then shook her head.  When no one paid her any attention, she took her weapon  and fired a brief volley over the top of the Stargate, getting everyone's attention.  She shook her head again, fiercely.   She had an idea.


	5. Chapter 5

She stood before the Stargate, her outfit muddied and crumpled with her remaining team-members by her side.  She stood staring at her husband, trying to make him understand her silent communication.  She stood as  a sign to her  people that all wasn't lost.  They took hope in that thought, in that sign. They took trust and comfort from it.

            _Stop, Jack._  Sam signed, stepping down from the platform, her booted feet clumping on the stone stairs.  It was one more thing that had changed in the last nine years.  Before the destruction of Earth, before the A'cuit, she had not known sign language, beyond what she'd learnt in the  movies.  Now she, like the majority of the villagers, could sign fluently.  It was a side-effect, due to the high number of 'dumb' refugees that had survived.  Their very unique disability – the complete lack of speech – had been their blessing.  Over half of the original thousand refugees were mute.  

            Sam paused as she felt the all too familiar brush against her cheek of  an A'cuit hunting.  She caught her breath, just swallowing the gasp of sound before it hit the air and froze.  The wind whistled past, it's presence illustrated by the fluttering of her hair.  She continued on, ignoring the trembling in her knees.  As she passed her son she touched his shoulder, but her eyes never left Jack's.

            _Sam._ Jack signed back, protesting.  She shook her head indicating him to wait.  She turned when she reached him and pressed a few keys, stilling the recording.  The alarm still sounded and would continue to do so for a long time to come.  But Jack's voice was now stilled.  She stood on the raised platform, eyes scanning the terrified people before her.

            _We've just returned from _their_ homeworld._  Sam reminded everyone.  _We will be alright, so long as we remain silent.  We were successful in our mission.  We can be just as successful here. _

            _How?_  A young man asked, stepping forward. He was one of the original 'mutes'.  He - unlike many of the others - had no fear of speaking, so his mind was already thinking towards the future.

            _I think there may be a way to destroy them that doesn't involve the device._ Sam announced, then put her hands up to still everyone.  _Like I said,_ she signed 'loudly' -  her gestures large and emphatic -  We can_ be successful here as well.  _ _I just need to do some testing first.  But I fear that if we leave now, we will be exposing the rest of the galaxy to these beings.  And that's something we can't risk._  She finally got a few nods of agreement.  She stepped down from the console, her husband behind her, and walked quickly to her lab.  Behind her, she felt not only the stares of the rest of the villagers, but the weight of the alien's presence.  It sent  a shiver down her spine.

* * *

_They flew, angered.  Their quarry was here. They could feel them, sense them.  But they could not hear them.  The few they had consumed did nothing for their hunger.  Their hunger grew. Their wrath continued unabated.  But there was no sound._

_If they could, they would scream in rage.  Instead, icy cold settled around them._

* * * *

Jack sat beside his wife, his son and daughter curled up in his lap.  Daniel had remained silent, his blue eyes wide in his pale face. The boy was frightened, but there was nothing Jack could do for him yet.  There was nothing he could do for anyone, but wait for Sam to figure out how to defeat these things.  He pulled his children tighter to him and concentrated all his support, all his strength on his wife.  She, above all, needed it.

* * * *

Janet stood before the cave, face pale.  At the entrance was a mass of red liquid.  Red liquid and caving equipment.  She felt a tear drop onto her cheek.  She knew.  Knew without any way of knowing.  Her husband was amongst the carnage.  She was alone again.  Her heart shattered in her chest, but survival instincts muted her reaction.  Any feeling at all would result in an outpouring of horror and disbelief.  An outpouring that would eventuate in sound.  And sound on this planet was deadly.

So the doctor held her tongue.  Held the whimper of heartbreak that teetered in her throat.  Held back the grief and howls of despair.  Held it all back.  For now.  

Instead she went forward and picked up the five dog-tags that were scattered amongst the mess.  She found her husband's, she found their friend's.  But there was no reaction.  No sign of emotion. She simply pocketed the tags and turned away from the cave.  Outside, she was still, emotionless.  Inside, she was screaming.

* * * *

Sam glared at the screen, dearly wishing she could swear loudly.  Her idea just didn't seem to want to gel into an actuality.  The error bleeped cheerily at her, flashing on the monitor, as the blue of the screen cast a pale glow over her features.  She hit a key on the keyboard and started typing again, reconfiguring.  Re-calibrating her calculations. This had to work.

* * * *

_They writhed and swirled, eddies of raging wind sweeping the planet.  They knew there was food here.  They knew it to the least of them.  They could feel them, on the edges of their senses.  Silent and superior._

_They spun and thrashed, anger making them harsh.  Their food was being denied them.  They were starving.  And no one, since the first glorious taste, was letting them ease their pain._

_* * * *_

_How did we get the name for them, any way?  _Jonas asked, sitting with Teal'c below the large window.  Sam was still at her desk, had been for close to 36 hours now.  Jack was feeding her coffee and sugar to keep her going.  Their children had long since gone to sleep, Jack finally admitting to the need for Daniel to be 'muted'.  Daniel had understood, but his eyes had reflected betrayal.  Jack had bowed his head away from that stare as he injected his son.  He'd looked at their supply of the drug in Janet's lock-up.  They were running low.  Soon, the children would be able to talk again.  He didn't mention this to his wife.  She had enough stress on her shoulders, without him adding to it.  Jack turned back to catch Jonas' question.

            _The Asgard._  Jack replied, sitting with his back to another wall.  Jonas looked at him, encouraging him to continue.  _When we first contacted them, two years after Earth was destroyed, we mentioned the things that had done the damage.  Thor and his friends said they knew of the aliens who had done this.  They thought they'd managed to contain them on their homeworld._

_            Obviously they were wrong_.  Jonas replied, fingers flicking as he signed.

            _Obviously._  Jack said. Had he been speaking, his voice would have dripped with sardonic bitterness.

* * * *

Sam leaned back, breathing a soundless sigh of relief.  She ran her hands through her shortened hair, stretching her neck muscles as she did so.  She jumped when she felt a hand on her neck, then relaxed into the massage her husband was giving her.  She refused to count the hours she had been awake, just as she refused to count the gallons of coffee she had used to sustain herself while she worked.  But her body was feeling the effects.  A minute later, she moved away from Jack's hands and turned her chair, facing the rest of her family.  

Teal'c and Jonas were still sitting under the window, the darkness of night giving way to morning visible through the glass panes.  Jack was by her side, hand on her shoulder.  Her children were asleep next to Teal'c, several large cushions piled on top of each other as their mattress.  And Janet.  Poor Janet.  She had returned just on dusk, with the news that her husband and his team had been caught out by the A'cuit..  She had handed over the dog-tags, as per procedure.  Her face was impassive as she wiped her blood-stained hand on her trousers.  Then she had sat down at her desk and started working.  Now she was sitting, staring out of her window at the coming dawn.  Sam could see her through the open doorway.  She felt compelled to go and comfort her friend, but couldn't.  Not now.  She rapped her hand on the desk to get everyone's attention and then waited for Janet to come in from the other office.

            _So?_  Jonas asked when Janet had entered the room.

            _It looks like it's going to work._  Sam replied.  She leant forward, stretching her back and continued to sign.  _Obviously the device I created before wouldn't work here.  For one, we don't have an abundance of naquadah, which is why we chose this planet as our Alpha site in the first place.  And secondly, we still want to live here after we've gotten rid of the A'cuit._  

            _That would be nice._  Jack signed, grinning slightly.

            _So I was thinking.  These guys hunt and feed on sound, yes?_

            _They do?_  Jonas and Jack signed together.  Sam could almost hear their surprised tones of voice.

            _Yes._  She replied, holding back a grin.  _That's why we're signing right now instead of talking.  They're attracted to organic sound.  They live on it.  Their home-world is devoid of any and all flora and fauna._

            _I myself noticed that_.  Teal'c said, joining the conversation.  He didn't like speaking in sign.  He always said that his fingers were made for holding a staff weapon, not for holding a conversation.  But he managed adequately despite his protestations.

            _So did I.  It got me thinking.  If there is no organic material to make 'sound', how do the A'cuit survive on such an arid planet?_  Sam shook her fingers to loosen them again and continued.  _Solar noise.  I figure, solar noise has to be their… staple for wont of a better term.  Their planet was pretty silent, but they lived.  The only thing that could sustain them was solar noise.  So, if we starve them…_

            _They'll die?_  Jack finished for her.  _I like that idea._

            _Thought you would, Jack._  Sam grinned.  Jonas and Teal'c echoed her.  _So I've been developing a kind of shield.  But it's pretty complicated.  It has to repel all noise – even from microbes, and the sound of the shield itself must be generated OUTSIDE the field.  Basically, we need to generate a noise vacuum around the planet and wait them out._

            _Will it harm us?_  Jonas asked, frowning.  Sam shook her head.

            _No.  The humans as a species -  along with the majority of animals -  can deal perfectly well without the ability to hear.    So while we may be uncomfortable for a while, we will not die.  The A'cuit, on the other hand, will._

            _How long?_  Janet asked, finally joining the conversation.

            _I have no way of knowing.  It could be days, weeks, years.  Or it could happen in a matter of seconds.  On Earth, it's been eight years since we abandoned the planet.  However, the area around the Milky Way is very.. loud.  There is a lot of solar noise in that region of the galaxy.  Out here, not so much.  And we'll be depriving them of that noise._

_            So less than eight years._  Jack summarised.  Sam nodded.  Jack wanted to grunt in frustration.  Even at less than eight years, it wasn't a good number.  The drugs for the children would run out well before then. He had a sudden urge to do some math.  _How are _we_ supposed to keep quiet for that long?  Let alone Danny and Sylvie?_

_            That's part of the device.  It will essentially be a DMZ for sound.  Once inside, no sound can be uttered.  It has to do with the-_  Jack grabbed her hands, halting the lecture.

            _If it works, great.  I don't need to know how._  Sam smiled at this familiar argument.  They'd had a similar one over the device they'd used to blow up the A'cuit homeworld.

            _So when can we install this shield?  _Jonas asked, clapping his hands to get their attention.

            _Tomorrow.  I need some sleep first, but it shouldn't take me more than a week to set it up.  We have all the necessary equipment here._  Jack nodded his head to signal his agreement.

            _Great.  I'll go and order a general assembly, let everyone know what's going on.  Janet_ , He got the doctors attention,_  Will the muting drug supplies last that long?_

            _No.  But I've been working on a synthesised version of it.  I should be able to produce a successful batch within the next three days.  And our supplies will last until then._

            _Good.  Teal'c, Jonas – go and round up the field workers.  Sam, get some sleep.  Janet, if you can, get to work on the new mute drug.  _They all nodded and went to follow his orders. All except for Sam who had managed, while her husband was giving orders, to crawl over to the cushions where her children were and was now asleep, curled up around them both.  Jack grinned lovingly at them and quietly  shut the door.

* * * *

_Three….Two…..One…_  Sam flipped the switch and looked up at the sky above her.  Everyone else did the same, eyes focused upwards at the vacuum shield. A great shimmering gold arc appeared above them, flickering from horizon to horizon.  As the gold became solid, every single person noticed an abrupt devoid.  Not a sound.  Complete and utter silence.  Someone clapped his hands, but though he felt the impact, there was no sound.  Another scuffed his feet in the gravel.  Again, he felt the movement of the pebbles below his shoe, but no noise.  The Alpha site refugees all slowly turned and looked at their leaders, eyes white with fear.

            _It's alright, everyone._  Sam signed, feet planted on the console.  _Like I said, all noise is effectively muted.  I can turn this shield off at any time.  But for now, I want you all to go to your homes and rest.  It's been a hell of a week and we need to keep our strength.  Your animals may be startled, scared.  Try to keep them calm.  And yourselves as well._  Sam herself turned to Jack, a worried frown behind her eyes.  They still had no definite idea of how long this may take.

            _Come on.  I think it's time we all went fishing._  Sam laughed – silently – and followed Jack away from the console, making their way through the mingling – silent – crowd.

* * * *

_Agony!  Silent, muted agony!  What had they done?  These beings, these pieces of sustenance!  Where was their energy, their source?  Oh!_

* * * *

The wind swirled and eddied silently, not even the passage through the trees creating sound.  Sam stood with her hair whipping her face, eyes alight with hope. The wind was cold, icy.  She could feel it's rage.  She held her son's hand in one of her own, the other on her husband's, wrapped around their daughter.

It was working.

* * * *

_Ag…ony.  Hun….gry.  Oh…  Pain._

* * * *

Days after the wind storm had felled trees – silently -  and levelled crops, Sam and Jack stood outside their house.  It was morning, the sun was shining  through the golden shield.  He had his arms wrapped around his wife's shoulders, chin on her hair.  The last three months of silence had brought the entire community closer, had knit them together even tighter.  But now, it was time to join the world of the hearing again.  The A'cuit were dead.  Surely.

            _Are you certain?_  Jonas had asked the night before, just prior to leaving for his own dwelling.  Sam had nodded.

            _The wind storm was their final death-rattle.  _Sam had said.  _Besides, unless we try, we'll never really know._  And that was the end of the conversation.  The community knew that the shield was coming down today.  They knew and they were scared.  Sam finally stood away from her husband, cleared her throat silently – hopefully for the last time – and walked to the console before the Stargate itself.  The rest of their community had gathered around, sitting or crouching, standing or signing to one another.  They all fell still as she approached, watching her progress with hawk-like attention.  She smiled at a few, distinctly nervous.  Finally, she turned to them all and held a finger to her lips, smiling a twisted smile as she did so.  Several others returned her smile, getting her attempt at a joke.

Sam flicked the switch.  Abruptly, the golden shield disappeared.  Noise descended upon them in a deafening roar.  Yet despite the pain this brought, they all remained silent.  All held their breath.  Until someone stepped forward.

            "Ahh… hello?"  He called in a loud voice.  He stood still, tensed against a possible violent end. And waited.  And Waited.

They all waited with him.  He shot a look at his wife who was staring at him, horrified and relieved all at once.

            "Jonathon Patrick O'Neill!"  She screamed in rage.  Others gasped or laughed in reaction.  Then suddenly everyone was talking, crying,  and  yelling with relief.  The A'cuit were dead.  They were alive.  And their home was still intact.  

* * * *

EPILOGUE (otherwise known as TAG)

"Oh, my head."  Jack winced, holding the offending body part in his hands and staring at the floor through squinted eyes.  His wife lay behind him, snorting softly into her pillow with mirth.  "Shut up, you."  He groused at her, debating using up his precious energy to beat her into silence with his pillow.  Unfortunately his bad mood set  her off giggling even louder, which caused his head to implode.  Well, it felt like it was imploding anyway.

            "No sympathy, my love."  She said, rolling over and pulling the pillow from her face.  "You will insist on trying to keep up with Teal'c.  So you suffer the consequences."  She sat up to get out of bed herself and stilled suddenly.  Jack felt her movement and cast a look back at her.  His wife had gone distinctly green around the edges and was breathing roughly through her nose.  All this didn't seem to help and within seconds she was running for the bathroom, hand over her mouth.  Jack stumbled after her, going down beside her to assist her through her own hang-over problems, breathing through his mouth so as not to smell anything that would set him off.

            "I thought you didn't drink much last night?"  Jack asked, bracing as Sam's body heaved again.  

            "I didn't."  She replied, wiping her mouth with a damp cloth that he handed her, the sound of the toilet flushing filling the room.  "I drank juice all night."  She leaned against him, her strength gone for the moment.

            "Then what did you eat?  Something must have caused this."

            "Something did, alright."  She muttered.  "What did I say eighteen months ago?  I said no more, I've had enough, that's it.  But no, an overbearing, bossy, bad tempered affliction I like to call my husband, decided to just run rough-shod over any thought I had for peace and quiet…. "

            "What?  How the hell did I…"  Jack broke off, his mind finally waking up and coming out of it's state of alcohol induced stupidity.  "Oh."  He breathed, then looked down at his wife.  "I thought…  Didn't we….  You…"

            "Yeah."  She agreed smiling softly with joy, then leaned over the toilet again.  So much for romance.

            "A baby?"  Jack grinned as he held his wife's heaving, shuddering body, blocking out the smell emanating from the toilet bowl in front of him.   "Sweet."  

-fin-


End file.
